Classic Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup is made vegan by simply replacing the chicken with healthy, hearty potatoes. Much healthier and still filling and comforting. This soup still has that classic comfort flavor and feel without the excess sodium. A bowl of this will fill you up and satisfy you perfectly.
CLASSIC VEGAN CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
Today, I’m sharing a classic with you. I grew up eating chicken noodle soup…honestly, who didn’t? That warm bowl of comforting soup that was overly loaded with salt, was somehow so satisfying. Of course, looking at the can of ingredients now is pretty gross. I do remember how the chicken in the can was always really rubbery and I would end up spitting most of it out.
When I became an adult my mom started making a chicken noodle soup recipe that she picked up from a newspaper. It was creamy and slightly spicy and incredibly delicious. Come to find out, it was made using a cream of mushroom can of soup! What?! I thought it was homemade 100%. Lol. Regardless, it was really yummy and I always requested it.
Instead of using actual chicken or even vegan chicken, I used healthy whole food potatoes! They are just as comforting, filling and satisfying. I love comforting soups and stews so much and it’s something that I thrive at when being creative in the kitchen.
You can make this for 8 easy ingredients, so simple and nothing fancy and completely plant-based.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
Full recipe and details on recipe card below.
- Carrots
- Celery
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Red potatoes or yukon gold potatoes
- Veggie broth
- Vegan bouillon cubes (see recipe below for alternate version)
- Dried thyme
- Nutritional yeast
- Noodles: Use regular or gluten-free. I used gluten-free brown rice spiral noodles.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
Step 1: Add the water (or broth if using the alternate version) and bring to a boil. Add the bouillon cubes (or spices version) and whisk to ensure thoroughly mixed.
Step 2: Add all of the veggies except the pasta. Bring back to a boil and stir well. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes until veggies are becoming tender, but not fully.
Step 3: Add the pasta and raise the heat to medium-high and bring back to a boil. Cook about 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender to your liking. If using gluten-free, it will cook faster, so watch closely so that it doesn’t become mushy.
Step 4: Taste and add any more salt, if needed, as this can greatly vary depending on the broth or quality of bouillon cubes used. I like a good grind of freshly ground black pepper to serve on top.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS SOUP?
A perfect thing to serve with a delicious healthy vegan chicken noodle soup is my Vegan Caesar salad and have a really satisfying, healthy dinner.
MORE VEGAN SOUP RECIPES
- Vegan Red Lentil Curry Soup
- Low-fat Smoky Broccoli Potato Soup
- Vegan Cauliflower Curry Soup
- Creamy Vegan Lentil Soup
- Hearty Veggie Potato Stew
- Lazy Day Vegan Tomato Bisque
- Smoky Sweet Potato Black-eyed Pea Soup
Classic Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 4 large long carrots, sliced (you will need 1 1/2 cups sliced, 170 g)
- 4 large long celery stalks (you will need 1 1/2 cups sliced, 200g)
- 1 packed cup (160g) finely diced yellow onion
- 3 X-large garlic cloves, minced (about a tablespoon-15g)
- 3 small red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (you will need 2 1/2 cups, 370g)
- 6-7 cups water (or broth, see update under NOTES)
- 2 vegan bouillon cubes (see update under NOTES for alternate version!)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (depending on your bouillon cube, this may need adjustment)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 cups (170g, 6 oz) gluten-free brown rice spiral noodles
- optional garnish: fresh parsley and fresh lemon juice
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Prepare all of your veggies, spices and set aside.
- Add only 6 cups of the water (or broth if using the updated version below) to a large pot and bring to a boil, add the bouillon cubes (or all the additional spices listed under the updated version below in place using the bouillon cubes), thyme, salt, nutritional yeast and whisk to dissolve.
- Immediately add all of the veggies (carrots, celery, onion, garlic and potatoes). You are adding all of the ingredients except the pasta. Stir well and bring back to a boil. Once boiling, immediately turn to the lowest heat, cover and simmer around 10 minutes until the carrots and potatoes are becoming tender, but not fully.
- Add the pasta and bring back to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, leave the lid off and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender, but still firm. If using gluten-free pasta, it will cook much faster, so keep an eye.
- Taste and add any more salt, if needed, as this can greatly vary depending on the broth or quality of bouillon cubes used. I like a good grind of freshly ground black pepper to serve on top. If you want it more brothy, add more broth and adjust seasonings as needed to account for extra broth.
- Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and a fresh squeeze of lemon juice right before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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THIS SOUP IS DELICIOUS!!!! We are vegan and it’s so hard to find a soup to replace chicken noodle in the winter when everyone gets sick. WE ALL LOVE IT!!! Added lots of nutritional yeast and used “better than bouillon” and it’s delicious!!! Thank you for sharing your recipe! Will be making it for years to come! 🙂
I’m so happy to hear that Stephanie! Thank you so much for making it and leaving such an awesome review!
I’ve made this soup several times and it is fantastic. One question, we’re snowed in today and I have everything except the rice noodles. Will it work with whole wheat pasta? Should I cook it separately? Thanks!
Thank you for this recipe!! I’m sick for the 1st time since going vegan 4 months ago and didn’t have energy for complicated soup recipe. This is amazingmy delicious, even my omni husband and kids loved It! Definitely adding my rotation!!! I also love that most ingredients are in pantry already. 😀
With a sick girlfriend, this soup was the perfect thing to see her back on her feet. I’m a new fan to this site.
This is the second time I’ve made this soup, it’s so yummy and easy to make. I add a can of drained, rinsed chickpeas, as well, for a little added protein. Definite comfort food! 🙂
I’m so glad to hear how much you enjoy the soup Julie!!
I made your vegan noodle soup for lunch today and it was perfect for this gray chilly Michigan day. I could not find vegan bouillon so I used the update and it was wonderful. Thank you!!
Wonderful, so glad you enjoyed it Angie!
I am 14 and made this awesome soup successfully. My dad was making a traditional acadian soup but it had chicken, so I made my own by adjusting this recipe to match the acadian frico which includes dumplings. Me and my mom loved very much!
Oh this is so wonderful to hear Isabelle! You are so amazing and awesome to make this soup!!
Just wanted to let you know this is now a staple in my house. When I became vegan one of the things I missed was homemade chicken noodle soup. So glad I tried this recipe! Now, when it’s cold, or when I’m not feeling well, all I want is this soup! It is healthy, comforting, and freezes well (without the noodles). I always have a batch in the freezer. Thanks so much for a great recipe!
So awesome to hear that Lynne, thank you for the review!
I make/request this every time I’m sick, or just looking for simple soup. Best recipe!!
So glad you love it, thank you Gina!
This soup has TRULY become our go-to! I make this for my fiancé all the time. He looks forward to colder weather because it means he gets this soup! One question though, what does the nutritional yeast add to it? I’ve literally overlooked that it is an ingredient in this soup for 2 straight winters and I’m afraid to add it because it’s so good already! 😅
That is so awesome to hear Jessica!! To be honest, I actually don’t use the yeast anymore since my husband cannot have it (huge gout trigger) and he loves this soup so much. I learned awhile back how bad it triggers gout, so I just leave it out now. Although, I personally find it more flavorful with it, if you love it as is, then feel free to skip it! It just aids in depth of flavor and a salty bite, which classic chicken soups have so much.
my husband came home complaining of an upset stomach. I made this soup and he’s feeling better.
So glad the soup made him feel better!
Another 5 star hit from Brandy! This soup is outstanding, brings back memories of childhood chicken noodle soup. EVERYONE loved it and I have printed and given out at least 5 copies of this recipe, it’s delish! The first batch I made, I did not follow directions and I used regular white pasta – oh man, it doubled in size turning my soup into a pot of pasta with no broth, so be sure to use the gluten free brown rice pasta!!! Thanks again Brandy for your awesome culinary skills!
One of my favourite recipes ever! This is so so tasty and simply to make. I cannot believe I haven’t already written a review about it! Absolutely amazing. It’s gotten to the point where I’m cooking this once a week at least! Yay thank you so much
The only thing I do to change it is adding more water than stated, but that is just a personal preference.
SO happy to hear that Ellen!
I loved it. I make a homemade bouillon I found on Pinterest so that I can control how much sodium goes into any dish I put it in. I was worried I wouldn’t get enough flavor. I make and freeze my own vege broth but I didn’t have 6 cups. The only modification I made was I went ahead an added Worcester sauce like you recommend if using broth and not bouillon cubes. I also added an extra tablespoon of nutritional yeast. Probably didn’t need to do all that but I wasn’t sure of my homemade bouillon. It came out great. Thank you for another low-fat winner
Loved this recipe! I added some garbanzo beans that I had leftover from making hummus and a super finely chopped bunch of lacinato kale. Delicious!!! Thank you!
So happy to hear that Jen! Thank you for the review!
This recipe is bomb! So yummy and flavorful. I used the bouillon cubes. The only thing I changed was I used 1/4 of the amount of pasta because I like my noodle soup more brothy and I have found that pasta sucks it all up!
So happy to hear you loved it!
delicious! A new family favorite for us. Hard to fine recipes we all like with a 8, 6, and 4 year old!
This was delicious!
So glad you enjoyed it!!
This recipes is seriously amazing! Simple, whole food, so flavorful! Thank you so much!
This is incredible! Super easy to make and very versatile. I used barley instead of noodles and added some spinach at the end and it was delicious.
Wonderful Mari!
This recipe was AMAZING! It’s exactly the classic soup you remember from growing up, just, dare I say, better! At first I wasn’t sure about the potatoes as a substitute for chicken but it was lovely. Just the right ingredient to make the soup feel as though there wasn’t anything “missing”. My family loved it. Thank you for another oil free vegan keeper. 🙂
Aww so glad to hear this, thank you Rachel for the review!
I’ve made this soup exactly twice, barring today (I’m bringing the veggies to a boil right now). And in BOTH experiences, this recipe has earned legendary status!! Everyone who has tried it—including myself!—swears by it. I am a vegan who typically eats the spiciest possible food, but this soup is SO simple and SO flavorful: just honestly a delight!! An absolute delight. Thank you so much for this! 😭
As a two decade vegetarian, and children that have only been raised vegetarian, I missed the flavors and smells of chicken noodle soup, but knew they couldn’t relate to. There wasn’t a great substitute on the market that didn’t include tofu and my kids freak at the texture of “fake meat”. I found this recipe a few years ago and decided to give it a go. THIS IS STILL OUR FAVORITE!! We usually top it with a parmesan cheese (or vegan alternative =), and serve it with crusty bread. It’s light enough to have any time of year, but we definitely crave it a lot when the weather turns cooler! It’s going to be on the dinner table tonight – kids’ request!
Made this tonight and it received lots of love from this plant-based family!!! Added some chicpeas which were delicious in it!
This soup is AMAZING! My husband says it’s the best soup I have ever made, and I agree! So delicious, I ate it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Super easy and comforting. I made the original recipe, with vegan bouillons and used gluten free pasta. This will for sure become a staple in our house.
Brandi has once again knocked another recipe out of the park! When I find myself wanting a recipe for a new food, I always check to see if the Vegan8 has one because Brandi never lets me down! I was hoping for a flavorful vegan gluten free noodle soup. The seasonings in the recipe are phenomenal! (I did thr alternative version) Every bite was flavorful and the soup is so warm, hearty, and comforting with both the pasta and potatoes. I frozen several portions and will 10/10 make this again!
You are the sweetest Megan, thank you so much! So happy you loved the soup!
I made this tonight on a wintery evening. I, too, felt like chicken noodle soup but I’m on a plant based diet. This was absolutely the best! I did add the nutritional yeast for flavor. I also added a Chayote cubed. A vegetable used in Mexican soups. My husband who still eats meat loved this soup. I’m so happy there’s leftovers for another dinner during the week. Thank you Brandi! Every recipe you create is always delicious.
Amazing flavor and hits the spot for the subzero temps near the Chicagoland area! Definitely a keeper!
This is a family favorite! Real comfort food and tastes amazingly delicious. Thanks, Brandi.
That’s so wonderful, thank you so much Diane!
This is a perfect soup! Recipe is super simple.
Thank you so much Janet!
After reading all the positive reviews I had to try this recipe. Wow – delicious! First time I have used vegan bouillon cubes (“Not-Chick’N”, by Edward & Sons) and they really added flavor. I also added a can of chickpeas and some kale (at the very end). Very easy, healthy recipe, and I will definitely make again!
Woohoo, so lovely to hear it!
A good for the soul dish! This is a regular meal in our household. M
Yay Janine!
MYKIND OF RECIPE! WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME ON MY SHOW AND PREPARE IT OR ANOTHER OF YOUR SPECTACULAR RECIPES? I GET UP TO 1,000 LIVE VIEWERS ON THE DAILY SHOW AND MANY MORE ON THE REPLAYS. THANK YOU.
Hi Chef AJ! Thanks for reaching out again! Unfortunately, this is something I cannot commit to for the time being, but I will let you know if/when I can in the future, thank you so much for understanding!
Just finished 2 bowls…this is amazing! I made my own veggie broth and added the additional spices in the notes. I was hesitant about potatoes with noodles but this is by Vegan 8, so I knew it had to be good. This was the tastiest soup I have ever had even before going Whole Food Plant Based! Vegan 8 has the best recipes! Thank you for making this way of eating easy!
Hi Brandi- mind sharing the brand of vegan bouillon you use? Thank you- excited to make this!
Hi Wendy! I actually haven’t used the bullion cube version in years, I always do the alternative version now, so I’d suggest that. But when I did use it, it was from whole foods
This is soooo good. Only thing I changed was I added vegan chicken but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly and it’s insanely good and comforting. Looove it ❤️
So happy you loved it!!
I made this last night. It was a hit! We have been bored with other vegan vegetable noodle soup recipes, but this one hit the mark.
So glad you loved my recipe, thank you Tara!
This soup turned out fantastic! It really hit the spot and I will definitely be making it again. Feeling thankful for this recipe!
This is one of my husband and I’s favorites! We missed chicken noodle soup when we went vegan. Not the Chicken part but the comfort and taste! This is even better than the chicken noodle we had prior! SO Yummy and so comforting!
Great soup! My daughter, a bio-chemist, added Rutabaga and Parsnips – oh, my! Dice them and they will add flavor while absorbing flavor. 🙂
It was nearly perfect initially but after adding additional seasonings to adjust for the extra 2 cups of water i added, i may have added too much worcestershire sauce because its turned a bit sour. Any ideas how to get rid of or reduce that sourness aside from adding water and all the other ingredients?
My family loved this soup, and they don’t like food! so I was happily surprised.
The only question I have is how much pasta am I supposed to use? I only used half the bag, and that was plenty. But should I have used the entire bag?
Thank you for sharing
I make this recipe all the time. It’s delicious & easy! I’ve tried different recipes but this one is the best for a vegetarian chicken noodle soup alternative.
Thank you!!!
Woohoo, I love to hear that Jocelyn!!
This was a favorite among the whole family and a perfect dinner for our first day of snow today. I am always grateful for recipes that allow for all ingredients to be prepared at the same time and a relatively quick and easy meal to prepare in under an hour. Thank you!
I’m really happy to hear this Sarah!